FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

on

RI-CAN (the Rhode Island Campaign for Achievement Now) today released an open letter to Governor Lincoln Chafee congratulating him on his recent victory and urging him to continue the transformation of public schools begun in the past year by Education Commissioner Deborah Gist, Board of Regents Chairman Robert Flanders and the rest of the board.

“As governor, you have a unique opportunity to help Rhode Island become the gold standard for education policy that other states can look to for inspiration,” the letter reads. “We urge you to build on the progress made so far and keep the winning team together.”

On January 31, the terms of eight of the nine members of the Rhode Island Board of Regents will expire. One of Governor Chafee’s most significant first actions as governor will be his appointments or re-appointments to this board. Commissioner Gist has previously stated that she is eager to lead the implementation of the four-year Race to the Top plan developed by her department as long as she has the full backing of this board and the governor.

RI-CAN is publishing the letter as the inaugural action of its 2011 policy campaign, called “Be a Superhero.” The campaign’s three goals and its website will be unveiled in the coming days. Building upon Rhode Island’s come-from-behind victory in last year’s federal Race to the Top competition, which was driven forward by an unprecedented collaborative effort and brought home $75 million for Rhode Island schools, the first goal is called “Super Leaders.” The aim is to keep Rhode Island’s winning education team together to ensure the successful implementation of Rhode Island’s four-year Race to the Top plan and the transformation that is underway to remake its public schools.

“In the past year, Rhode Island emerged as a national leader in education policy by forging an unprecedented coalition for change. We beat the odds and defied the naysayers by putting kids’ interests first and brought home $75 million for our schools,” said Butke. “Now we face a new test: whether we can keep the winning team together to ensure that we deliver on the promise of that victory by turning the ideas in the plan into reality. The choices Governor Chafee makes in the next four weeks will have profound implications for Rhode Island school children for the next four years.”

RI-CAN has opened up the letter to every Rhode Islander and asked them to add their names. The petition is posted on the RI-CAN website, www.ri-can.org.

###

About RI-CAN: Launched in December 2010, RI-CAN (the Rhode Island Campaign for Achievement Now, pronounced rye-can) is an education reform advocacy organization building a movement of Rhode Islanders creating the political will to enact smart public policies to ensure that every Rhode Island child has access to a great public school. Learn more at www.ri-can.org.

Jan. 25, 2011

Dear Governor Chafee,

Congratulations on your recent inauguration. As you begin your term as governor, we know you face many important decisions for Rhode Island. Perhaps the most crucial decision of all is the direction you set for our public schools. We believe that the best way to put Rhode Island children first is for Education Commissioner Deborah Gist, Board of Regents Chairman Robert Flanders and the rest of the board to continue their work. We ask you to maintain the current board composition by nominating only Board of Regents candidates who will continue the transformation underway of Rhode Island public schools.

2010 was a landmark year for the state’s public schools. With the support of educators, labor leaders, students, parents and members of the business and philanthropic community, Rhode Island rose to national prominence as one of only 11 states, plus the District of Columbia, to win the federal Race to the Top competition. That victory secured $75 million – the largest federal grant Rhode Island has ever received – for public schools in the middle of a deep recession. Commissioner Gist also worked tirelessly with House and Senate Leadership, municipal leaders, school committees and others to bring Rhode Island a groundbreaking school funding formula to provide fair, transparent and predictable school funding for all students. These accomplishments were achieved through an unprecedented collaborative effort.

The current team has proved to be a winning one, scoring substantial victories on behalf of Rhode Island schoolchildren. But the battle is far from over. The reforms initiated over the past year are an important start to transforming Rhode Island’s public schools, but they must continue to have real impact.

As governor, you have a unique opportunity to help Rhode Island become the gold standard for education policy that other states can look to for inspiration. We urge you to build on the progress made so far and keep the winning team together by nominating or maintaining a Board of Regents that will support Commissioner Gist, the Rhode Island Department of Elementary and Secondary Education team and Rhode Island’s strategic plan to ensure that we reach our ultimate goal of providing great public schools for every Rhode Island child.